Comb.



E. E. KEEFE,

COMB.

APPLIOATION FILED D20. 9, 1209.

959,867. Patnted May 31, 1910.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

EUGENE E. KEEFE, F BELLOWS FALLS, VERMONT.

COMB.

Application filed December 9, 1909.

To a'ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE E. Karma, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellows Falls, in the county of WVindham and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Comb, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a comb adapted to be heated and to be employed for the drying of the hair, the device including a pair of combing members, yieldably connected, so that their adj acent faces may be brought relatively near together, whereby both of said combing members may be heated simultaneously, in any desired manner.

Another object of the invention is so to construct these combing members that they may be adapted to receive a heating fluid, the construction being such that when the heating fluid is contained in one of said combing members, the'other of said combing members may be brought relatively near to the heating fluid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for alining the combing members when they are moved toward each other, the means for efiecting this end being likewise adapted to support a heating device of any desired construction.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, delineated in the drawings, and specifically claimed, it being understood that, since the drawings show but one form of the invention, changes, properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the draw ings.

In the accompanying drawings ;F igure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 3 is a fragmental longitudinal section, showing the back plates pressed together; Fig. 4; is an elevation of one of the back plates; and Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the heating block in process of removal.

The handle of the device is fashioned from resilient metal, and bent into U shape to form resilient arms 1 and 7. The combing members are assembled with these arms Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Serial No. 532,238.

1 and 7 adjacent the ends of said arms. The combing members comprise back plates :2 and 3, from which protrude, in opposite directions, teeth a. The bearing ends of the teeth at are disposed in a plane concaved to-' ward the axis of the device, so that the teeth, at their bearings ends, may conform approximately to the shape of the head of the user.

The back plates 2 and 3 are assembled with the arms by means of retaining elements 5, which are prolonged to extend between the arms, and there enlarged to form heads 6. A retaining member, in the present instance taking the form of a pin 8, is extended through an opening in the extremity of the arm 7, and provided with an outstanding head 9, located between the arm 7 and the back plate 2, the opening in the arm 7 for the reception of the pin 8. being slightly larger than the diameter of the pin, and the arm 7 being spaced from the back plate 2 by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the head 9, so that the pin 8 may have a limited swiveled movement in the arm in which it is mounted. The free extremity of the pin 8 is adapted to be received, slidably, in an oppositely disposed opening in the arm 1, which said opening is alined with an opening 10' in the back plate 8.

The back plates 2 and 3 are provided with peripheral flanges 11, adapted to outstand beyond the adjacent faces of the back plates. The arms 1 and 7 are provided, at suitable points, with openings 12.

The pin 8 is adapted to support a heating device which may be of any form. In the present instance, I have provided a heating block 14, provided with a central opening 15, adapted to receive the pin 8; but any other form of heating device may be employed, and, as I shall hereinafter explain, the heating device if desired, may be dispensed with entirely. Presupposing, however, that the heating block 14 is employed, it may be stated that the said block is preferably fashioned from an absorbent substance, adapted to be saturated with alcohol, or other liquid fuel. hen this heating device is mounted upon the pin 8, the heads 6 of the retaining elements 5, will, under the action of the resilient arms 1 and 7 bear against the remote faces of the heating block.

One method of operating the device is as follows, the heating block 14; being, in the case under discussion, dispensed with entirely. A. quantity of alcohol, or other inflammable liquid, is poured upon the back plate 2, the same being imperforate. The liquid fuel thus disposed will be retained upon the back plate 2 by the peripheral flange 11, the back plate being disposed in horizontal position. The liquid fuel is then ignited, and the arms 1 and 7 are compressed, to bring the back plate 3 as close as possible to the back plate 2, so that the back plate 3 may be heated to as great an extent as possible, the flanges 11 of both back plates serving to confine the heat, and to prevent the blaze from spreading. By the foregoing operation, obviously, the teeth t will, in a short time be heated sufliciently to perform their function. The pin 8, registering slidably in the opening 10, serves to aline the back plates 2 and 3 when they are brought toward each other in the manner hereinbefore described. The slight swiveled movement which the pin 8 has, will permit its ready insertion into the opening 10, should the said opening be slightly out of alinement, but, owing to the fact that the swiveled movement of the pin 8 is limited, the pin will not be rendered ineffective as a means for alining the back plates 2 and 3 when they are moved toward each other.

Another method of operating the device is as follows, a heating device of some sort being employed in the case under discussion, the heating block let being described for the sake of illustration, in the present instance. The heating block 1% is saturated with liquid fuel, and the fuel ignited, the back plates 2 and 3 and the teeth 1 being thereby heated to the desired degree. Owing to the fact that the head 6 of the retaining element 5 bears directly upon the block 1a, the back plates 2 and 3 will be heated, not only by radiation, but, as well by conduction, through the retaining elements 5.

If desired, the block 14 may be heated before it is inserted between the arms 1 and 7, and in such case, the arms may be sprung apart, the end of the pin 8 being withdrawn from the opening 10, so that the heating block may be removed, between the free end of the pin 8 and the arm 1.

When a heating device of any approved sort is employed, the flanges 11 obviously tend to retain the heat between the back plates, the pin 8, serving as a mounting for the heating device.

By providing the arms 1 and 7 with the openings 12, the constituent material of the arms is removed to a considerable extent, so that the arms will less readily be heated at their point of union, which said point of union is commonly in the hand of the operator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that 1 have provided a comb which is adapted to hold a quantity of liquid fuel which may be ignited for the heating of the device, and, at the same time, so constructing the article that, at the option of the user, a heating device of any desired construction may be supported in place to exercise its function.

If desired, a combustible fluid, such as alcohol, may be retained upon one of the combs by the flange 11 thereof, the comb being disposed in a horizontal position. This fluid may be ignited, and the other comb brought into close contact with the comb containing the fluid, both combs being thus heated simultaneously. This construction will be best understood from an examination of Fig. 3.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A device of the class described comprising spaced, yieldable arms; and combs carried by the arms adjacent the ends of the arms, the combs having peripheral flanges arranged to outstand beyond the adjacent faces of the combs.

2. A device of the class described comprising spaced, yieldable arms; combs carried by the arms adjacent the ends of the arms, the combs having peripheral flanges arranged to outstand beyond the adjacent faces of the combs; and a pin terminally mounted in one arm and arranged to reciprocate in the other arm.

3. A device of the class described comprising spaced, yieldable arms; combs carried by the arms adjacent the ends of the arms, the combs having peripheral flanges arranged to outstand beyond the adjacent faces of the combs; and a pin mounted at one end in one of said arms for limited swiveled movement and arranged to reciprocate longitudinally in the other arm.

4. A device of the class described comprising spaced, yieldable arms; combs carried by the arms adjacent the ends of the arms; a supporting member terminally connected with one of said arms; and a heating device removably carried by the supporting member; the arms being separable to provide for the passage of the heating device between the supporting member and the other arm.

5. A device of the class described comprising spaced, yieldable arms; combs carried by the arms adjacent the ends of the arms; a supporting member terminally connected with one of said arms and arranged to reciprocate longitudinally in the other arm; and a heating device removably carried by the supporting member; the arms being separable to provide for the passage of the heating device between the supporting member and the other arm.

6. A device of the class described compris ing spaced, yieldable arms; combs carried by the arms adjacent the ends of the arms;

a supporting member mounted at one end in one of said arms for limited swiveled movement and arranged to reciprocate longitudinally in the other arm; and a heating device removably carried by the supporting member; the arms being separable to provide for the passage of the heating device between the supporting member and the other arm.

7. A device of the class described comprising spaced, yieldable arms; combs located at the ends of the arms; retaining elements uniting the combs with the arms and prolonged to extend between the arms; and a heating device supported between the arms and engageable by the prolonged portions of the retaining elements.

8. A device of the class described comprising yieldingly connected combs, normally spaced apart and disposed back to back, there being a fuel-receiving chamber in the back of one of the combs.

9. A device of the class described comprising a handle having spaced resilient arms; and combs disposed back to back upon the 5 arms one of the combs having a fuel-receiva ing chamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE E. KEEFE. l/Vitnesses ZINA H. ALLBEE,

T CHARLES it. CArRoN. 

